Arkansas Constitutions

About this collection

Through its history, Arkansas has been governed by five constitutions. Each of the five constitutions symbolizes a shift in the state’s political status: statehood in 1836, joining the Confederate States of America during the Civil War in 1861, military occupation near the end of the Civil War in 1864, Reconstruction in 1868, and reaction to Reconstruction in 1874. Although several attempts have been made to draft a new constitution, the 1874 document remains the basis for state laws in Arkansas. All five of the original state constitutions are housed at the Arkansas State Archives, and have been digitized and transcribed for your use.